Should The Guardians Listen To Jose Ramirez And His Request?
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For those of you who missed Sunday afternoon's series finale in Seattle, you didn't miss much. The Guardians' bats hopped on the plane for the ride home early and weren't anywhere to be found. However, there was one off-field topic that has people talking.
In the fourth inning, Bally Sports' Andre Knott said that All-Star third basemen, Jose Ramirez requested that the Cleveland Guardians front office keep Amed Rosario around for the long haul and solidify him as the team's shortstop heading forward.
Andre went on to say that Jose told him: "Please tell Chris Antonetti and the organization to take care of Amed Rosario. Pay him, keep him next to me. We need him. He's one of our most important players."
Those are some pretty strong words.
I think that Rosario has always found himself in an awkward spot with Cleveland. When he was included in the trade for Francisco Lindor, fans just assumed that he was keeping shortstop warm for one of Cleveland's talented middle infield prospects to take it over.
Whether it was going to be Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, or even Brayan Rocchio down the line, Rosario never felt like he would stick around.
It's a fair take to have. All three of those players are in the top 11 in organizations and for good reason.
But as the dust settles, listening to Jose and keeping Rosario around might be the organization's best move. Arias has been up with the team for a few series this season and has looked absolutely lost at the plate. Freeman, the other candidate to take over that position, is batting just .194, albiet with little playing time.
I know, they're still prospects and need time. Andres Gimenez didn't look good last year either before taking off and becoming an All-Star in 2022. But the difference there is that Cesar Hernandez (Cleveland's 2B for half 2021) batted .231. The position was open for anyone to take and Gimenez took that opportunity.
Rosario on the other hand is batting .283 while being second in the lineup and consistently helps the team win games. His speed and hustle are what the rest of the young players on this team have modeled themselves off of and what the team prides itself on.
It's a tough decision the front office will have to make sooner than later. With Rosario going into his final year of arbitration over the winter, it's likely we get the answer by then.
Ramirez has every right to request that a player he enjoys playing with and hanging out around in the clubhouse stays in Cleveland. Jose has certainly seen quite a few other players get shipped off.
Whether his request is listened to is another thing. Until Antonetti's mind is made up on keeping Rosario or not, you can guarantee the social media debates will carry on.
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